Power Trips

The issue of pride has always been a problem for men, especially those with success and power. Since the formation of mankind, pride has been a consistent downfall to greatness. Having taught on the subject vastly, I could dole out example after example of Biblical men that fell into the pride trap. Let’s be honest today. Us men struggle with pride more often then women. In ministering to women quite extensively, I can tell you that pride takes on a different form in their lives. I’m not saying ladies can’t be proud, but the issue weighs heavier on the masculine soul.

Of all things that can bring men down, pride has proven to be public enemy number one. It kills greatness faster than anything else. Just ask Lucifer, the fallen foe. When pride rose up in him, and he considered himself equal with God, God kicked him out of heaven faster than lightening. From then on, pride has always kept people out of God’s presence and protection.

1 Peter 5:5-6 says, "Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time..." While writing this book, I felt impressed to share with you the perils of pride, and how to win the battle over it. I’ve seen too many men struggle and lose the battle with pride. These men are being deceived.

These men are ones who can’t be told anything. They don’t take correction very well. They point out others flaws while ignoring their own; criticize, yet can’t handle constructive criticism. They sit in the pew with their arms folded, unable to worship. They feel in control, yet don’t realize that pride is controlling them. They can’t be satisfied. They can’t walk in love. They rarely pray, yet have spiritual opinions. They want change, yet won’t change themselves. They are prisoners of their own pride.

Power Tripping

A prime example of pride, among many, is King Uzziah, as told in 2 Chronicles. By and large, Uzziah was a very successful king. He had created for himself an impressive reputation by winning wars and building great wealth. And to his credit, he adhered to God's laws most of his life. He valued God's ordinances and paid special attention to honoring Him. The onset of his reign was honorable and God blessed him. Having found favor with God, he was able to unite the kingdom. If the kingdom were a corporation; revenue was up, competition was crushed, and momentum was strong. Uzziah was an effective leader. He changed the face of the nation and sparked hope in the people’s hearts.

Things were on the upside for Uzziah. He enjoyed the benefits of spearheading God’s people into blessings. Life had become quite good for him. And a large part of his life was spent giving glory where glory was due. However, a point came in Uzziah's life when he began to pull away from giving God all the Glory. He slowly started shifting his focus towards himself. Success got to him.

For so many men, success means failure. It’s no secret that the more successful you become, the vulnerable you are to pride—especially in the area of money. You’ve heard it before, “money changes people.” I would agree that money does change your lifestyle and enable you to have more. But it doesn’t have to change who you are. Uzziah’s wealth and power had twisted his perception about life. Instead of maintaining a humble attitude, he let his success change his personality.

2 Chronicles 26:16 (NLT) says, "But when he had become powerful, he also became proud…” Uzziah’s power trip corrupted him. Power and pride are destructive when put together. Uzziah let his ego dominate. As I’ve said before, I personally don’t believe there is a problem with the male ego. God gave it to us. However I strongly urge against having a proud ego, which is arrogant and stubborn.

Unfortunately, Uzziah allowed himself to get proud and it would bring him down hard. He is an example of what happens when men let pride rule their hearts. Let’s go deeper into the story and see what else we can learn.

Perils of Pride

2 Chronicles 26:16 (NLT) says, "But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the LORD his God by entering the sanctuary of the LORD's Temple and personally burning incense on the altar." Here we learn that Uzziah's pride brought his downfall. Then the scripture tells us how it all boiled over. Uzziah got so proud and arrogant, that he undervalued God's desire and overstepped his boundaries. It’s important to note that pride doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Pride is destructive and it influences all areas of life. It leads to other sin.

Here you have King Uzziah, powerful and proud (a dangerous mixture), belligerently disobeying God. As a king, Uzziah had no business personally burning incense on the altar. At first you think, “Okay, what’s the big deal? Isn’t that a good thing; that he’s offering up worship to God?” Uzziah’s actions appear noble and pure. However, God doesn’t bend the rules for us, especially when pride is in the heart.

It was a known fact to Uzziah, that only priests could perform duties in the temple. But because of his pride, he carelessly entered and did what he wanted. Pride has a way of affecting your better judgment and character concerning the things of God. It’s a poison that spreads throughout your life. 2 Chronicles 26:17-19 tells us what happened next.

17) Azariah the high priest went in after him with eighty other priests of the LORD, all brave men. 18) They confronted King Uzziah and said, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is the work of the priests alone, the sons of Aaron who are set apart for this work. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have sinned. The LORD God will not honor you for this!" 19) Uzziah was furious and refused to set down the incense burner he was holding. But as he was standing there with the priests before the incense altar in the LORD's Temple, leprosy suddenly broke out on his forehead. 

All I can say is “wow”. I knew pride had repercussions, but this is severe. Like a domino effect, one poor decision led to another and Uzziah found himself cursed. Leprosy, being the worse sickness one would have, broke out on his forehead! And to think, all this happened because pride took root in his heart. Pride has real consequences. Because of pride, Uzziah:

1. Offered an Unacceptable Worship

In case you haven’t heard, let me be the first to tell you that pride limits your worship. In fact, pride doesn’t just limit your worship—it snuffs it completely. The first problem Uzziah faces is that he can’t offer an acceptable worship to God. Pride keeps you from having a sacred relationship with Jesus Christ. It won’t allow you to praise God.

Can a proud person have moments of worship? I suppose so. But a proud person cannot be a worshipper. They are miles apart. Nearly anyone can have a worship experience, if the setting is right. But not anyone can be a worshipper. Pride is a form of worship. It’s the worship of ones own self. A proud person worships at the altar of his own ideas, opinions and attitude. It’s self-glory. And of course, God shares his glory with no one.

God rejected Uzziah’s worship, because he rejected Uzziah. God resist the proud. Was Uzziah in the right place? Yes. Did perform the right duties? Yes. But his heart was displaced. Even King David overstepped his boundaries in the temple, but God didn’t strike him with leprosy. It had more to do with his heart.

As I previously noted, pride prevents true worship. When your heart is proud, a worship service could be powerful and explosive, and you won’t know it. Because of pride, I’ve seen men struggle at the altar, unable to breakthrough. I’ve seen men fight the urge to lift their hands and worship God with liberty. It’s like a tug-of-war within them. A part of them wants to just burst with worship, and another part keeps them shelled in. Worship will always be a problem for proud men. It will always be a struggle, a constant battle. Uzziah’s pride made his worship null.

2. Sidestepped Spiritual Authority.

Uzziah attempted to bypass God’s order. Knowing full well that only priests could minister in the temple, he disregarded spiritual authority. Men with pride will always have authority issues. They struggle with the concept of authority because it requires submission. Submission is to a proud person, what keeping a secret is to a gossiper, or what truth is to a liar. It is the exact opposite. Pride completely rejects the idea of submission to authority. Pride itself can’t handle coming under authority and being subordinate.

The kingdom of God operates through spiritual authority and submission to one another. Christ taught the disciples to serve each other. He even modeled it by washing their feet, a job usually done by a servant. But pride keeps you from having a submissive heart. A proud man will say things like:

• “The pastor is only a man, I don’t have to listen to what he says.”
• “Nobody tells me what to do. I’m my own boss.”
• “Serving is for others, not me.”

Proud men will always resist authority. Another example is king Saul. He constantly sidestepped Samuel’s instructions. He too resisted spiritual authority and did whatever he felt. Sadly he brought about his own demise. Humble men embrace authority and respect God’s anointed. Such as David who, even when given the chance to kill Saul, he withheld because he didn’t want to “touch the anointed of God”. He esteemed the “office” that Saul occupied.

3. Rejected Correction and Counsel

This runs parallel with overriding spiritual authority. Uzziah got furious when the priests tried to advise him. Again, the nature of pride resists authority. Proud men cannot be counseled because it takes humility to admit you’re wrong. Proverbs 13:10 says, “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.”

Azariah was the high priest who attempted to correct Uzziah. In fact, Azariah means “the Lord helps”. Counsel is meant to help guide your path and avoid dangers. God wanted to help Uzziah. He wanted to save him from himself. But because Uzziah’s pride was so intense, he felt threatened. Proud people feel threatened by counsel. They translate advice as attack. When you counsel them, they get defensive. That’s why the scripture says, “only by pride cometh contention”.

As Uzziah stood there in the temple, refusing to listen and change his ways, the Lord struck him with leprosy. I doubt God would strike anyone with a real case of leprosy today, because of pride. However, the deterioration of the heart and spirit seems to befall those who live with pride too long.

When pride is rooted out of the heart, through repentance and renewal, wonderful things can happen in your life. But the key is repentance. Pride is sin, not a personality disorder. To overcome sin, we must confess it and repent. Repentance is only way to truly root out pride. I’m not saying it’s easy either. If you struggling with pride, it’s going to be tough. Everything in you will resist. It’s going to be a fight. But don’t give up! Make up in your mind that pride will no longer be apart of you.

There’s no magical way to dealing with it. You simply must repent, pray, and spend time in God’s Word. Let’s look at what happens when pride dies.  

When Pride Dies

Unfortunately, Uzziah was banished from the palace and forced to live a solitary life. The following scripture tells us what happened he died. “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. (Isaiah 6:1)” These were the prophet Isaiah’s words, describing a vision he had. The key here is that this vision didn’t come until King Uzziah died.

If King Uzziah represents pride, this is giving us a powerful message about what happens when pride dies. Let’s take a closer look at this verse.

•        The Identity of God: “I Saw the Lord”
•        The Authority of God: “Sitting on a throne”
•        The Position of God: “High and lifted up”
•        The Glory of God: “The train of his robe filled the temple”

Great things can happen when you live free of pride. Because so many men, perhaps you, struggle with pride issues, this topic must be discussed. King Uzziah isn’t the only biblical example. Men like King Saul, Samson, Jonah, and others wrestled with this problem. As men, we’ve been challenged to confront the hidden king within. Sometimes its necessary for one king to die, so that another one can thrive.

One thing I pray is that no matter how successful I become in life, to never lose my humility and temperament. That’s why praise and worship is so vital, because it exalts God. I must thank him daily for what I have, because he is the giver of all good things. Uzziah had lost his appreciation for God somewhere along the way. At some point he stopped giving God the glory, and starting patting himself on the back. He got tangled in his own selfish ambitions.

I encourage you to find an altar of prayer. If you’re living with pride, be honest and repent. If not, ask God keep you from pride, by helping you stay humble. Also, read scriptures that will strengthen your resistance against pride. Here are a few to start with: Matthew 23:12, Proverbs 3:34, Proverbs 22:4, 1 Peter 5:6. As men, we can easily fall into the pride trap. Together let’s make a commitment to live beyond pride and continually give God thanks for everything He’s done.